“The book I read that documented what was happening in Russia at that time said that in 1925, the “trust” institution folded all of a sudden, and the agents around the world that it was supporting began to be picked up by western powers and allies.  It was a “death blow” almost, to Russia’s foreign security apparatus.”

“At the same time, I read in an English newspaper article preserved from that time that an agent captured by the English secret service reported that gold bullion valued at approximately $3 million in 1924 had strangely gone missing.”

“Based on declassified information  and in other … um…files left for me … my theory is that what that captured agent said had gone missing was supposed to finance the trust’s operations in 1924, but it never arrived in Moscow.  I did some quick calculations, and I think, assuming the gold bullion met London Good Delivery standards of 400 troy ounces each, all told, about 400 bars of gold bullion went missing.  Or were diverted by someone.”

She paused, and looked at Sylvia, swallowing quickly, almost breathless from excitement.  “Do you know how much that’s worth today?”

Sylvia shook her head slowly from side to side.

“Nearly $213 million dollars!  And that’s just the batch of bullion stamped 1924.”

“So if you put two and two together,” Bette stood, unable to keep still, and began to pace around the sunroom of Sylvia’s house in leafy Greenwich, Connecticut, her voice quickening further with excitement, “what if that gold was diverted by a “trust” insider, who also happened to be “the custodian” of that era… so he or she was some kind of double- or triple- agent … if that’s possible … part of the chain of “custodians” entrusted with safeguarding the gold cache, but at the same time a double agent of Western powers?”

“And, what if this “custodian” saw his or her opportunity to dismantle the “trust,” at some point in 1924 and so arranged to divert the gold bullion meant to support that phantom “trust”?  In other words, I think this “custodian” helped to make the entire gold cache disappear, adding in the 1924 gold to all the other gold that had been accumulated since 1855.”

Sylvia’s mouth went dry and she began to pace around the sunroom also, her mind whirring, calling up long-dormant memories of a case that had haunted her throughout her career in the intelligence service.